Tanith Ruins Everything
by Lord22
Summary: Shortly before the events of Cycle of Hatred, everything is going great. The truce between the Alliance and Horde is holding. The future is bright and Jaina Proudmoore is confident in her friendship with Warchief Thrall. Until the arrival of a mercenary from another world named Tanith who doesn't think much of her foreign policy and has plans of her own... OC main character.
1. Tanith Telus

**Chapter One: Tanith Telus**

Jaina Proudmoore awoke within her tower and was assaulted by the curse of knowledge. She had to do something about Tiragarde Keep. She'd been hoping to forget it all for the night, but she lay awake mulling it over. For an all too brief few hours, she hadn't been thinking about the potential source of the Fourth War.

And then she woke up.

It wasn't that she didn't have a plan. She did. It was just that it wasn't going to work at all. And if it didn't, that meant they'd have to use force. If Thrall wiped out Tiragarde, then people would accuse her of selling out to the Horde. If Jaina wiped out Tiragarde Keep, she'd be accused of treachery. Neither could she let the matter lie.

Because there were those, who kept accidentally on purpose getting shipwrecked near Tiragarde. With all their weapons and equipment, of course. They then 'unfortunately' got into a fight with some orcs. One that the orcs were only too happy to give them. Sooner or later, they would grow in strength enough to pose a legitimate threat. Then they might attack, and there'd be a war.

To make matter worse, orcs liked a fight. So there were plenty hoping for the failure of the plan on both sides. So it was a lose, lose.

Jaina couldn't take the message herself. And she couldn't think of someone who might be able to convince Lieutenant Benedict. So she bathed, combed her blonde hair, and donned a skirt over her hips and a brassiere over her ample chest.

She was just sitting down to read the letter when there was a knock on the door.

With a sigh, Jaina wondered who it was. The knocking was hard, so it wasn't a child. But it wasn't too brazen. She made her way up to the door and opened it. Before her was a tall, lanky young woman with a blonde bowl cut, she was wearing heavy steel armor and carried two swords at either side. Under one arm was a helmet.

"Excuse me, is this the Tower of Lady Jaina Proudmoore?" asked the woman, eighteen or twenty years old by Jaina's guess.

"Yes, it is," said Jaina, not liking how the woman's eyes roamed over her. It was brief, but Jaina had been looked at like this by men.

"Sorry for the interruption." said the woman. "Can I come in, I've got some business to discuss with you, and I was hoping to do it directly."

"What sort of business?" asked Jaina, not in the mood.

"Well, I was hoping to give you some advice." said the woman. "I've been looking over the maps, and you aren't in a very strong position. Especially with your recent history."

"You must be mistaken," said Jaina.

"Give me a chance to prove you wrong, milady, and you won't regret it." said the woman.

Jaina considered that she could either hear this woman out or do paperwork. The girl might actually be tolerable company and might have something useful to say. Meanwhile, she knew that her paperwork would be intolerable and might not be useful at all. On the other hand, she wasn't in the mood for company.

Jaina needed more information. "Who are you?"

"I'm Tanith Telus, and I'm new here," said Tanith. "Well, new to this world to be honest. Still, I know a poor military situation when I see one."

Poor military situation? That was new. Most people praised her commitment to peace. Or proclaimed eternal war with the Horde. Usually depending on which they made money from. She had her curiosity at least. "Why don't you come in then?"

Jaina led her in and sat her down in one of the heavier seats. She made some tea and offered it to her. Tanith took it, to her surprise and sipped it without any sugar.

Jaina put several chunks into hers and stirred it. "Now I don't understand what you mean when you say I'm in a poor military situation. The Alliance and Horde are at peace."

"Sure, but it won't last," said Tanith. Her voice was matter of fact and casual, like discussing the possibility of rain. She wasn't saying this out of hatred, but just because she believed there would be a war.

"I've been told that before," said Jaina, reflecting that this was somehow even more depressing. "The orcs are not the monsters people believe them to be."

"No, they're just like human beings," said Tanith. "Which means they are looking for a chance to gut you at the first opportunity."

"That's a somewhat cynical view of things," said Jaina. Then again, cynicism is not always misplaced.

"Maybe their current leader is in favor of peace," said Tanith. "But let me ask you this: Let's say the Horde decided to wipe you out because a new leader took charge? How would you stop them?"

"I'd be in a position to start a two-front war with Darnassus to the north," said Jaina. "But I'd rather avoid that."

"Well then, you're going about it all the wrong way," said Tanith.

Jaina was surprised by this as well. She was certain Tanith was about to suggest a preemptive strike. "And what is the right way?"

"Well, your problem is that you want everyone to live in peace and friendship," said Tanith. "But there is no such thing as a friendship between nations — only enlightened self-interest. Right now the orcs think they could walk in here and burn the place to the ground easy.

"After all, they almost did it once.

"They just don't want to. What happens when they decide they do want you dead?"

More depressing by the moment. And irritating. "What solutions are you offering, Tanith?"

"Simple enough," said Tanith. "Start a small war; make it about a misunderstanding. Let the orcs send a force at you. Then crush them completely before offering the olive branch.

"That establishes you as credible. And it means they'll be less likely to attack without thinking about it."

"So your plan is to start a small war and then hope it ends before it becomes large," said Jaina. It was somewhat novel. And Jaina confessed to some irritation at how the Horde regarded Theramore as weak. "It never does stay small."

"The war has another purpose," said Tanith. "Using the war, you can recruit the remnants of Daelin Proudmoore's expedition into the fold. You can also make alliances with the Centaur and Quillboars. Throw in a few raids by the night elves, and you'll be able to force the orcs on the backfoot. You then negotiate for some better terms, and the problem is solved."

"You want me to start a war?" asked Jaina.

"No, I want you to wait until the orcs give you a reason to start a war," said Tanith. "Just don't budge on something when they make a demand. They'll send an army down here, and then you smash it."

"And I imagine you'll want to lead the army." guessed Jaina.

"No, I just want the troops to conduct my own series of raids," said Tanith. "I'm not really a mass battle kind of person. I wouldn't trust myself as a general. Back in my own world, I led numerous raids and destroyed many villages in service to my god."

"A war god I take it?" guessed Jaina. What was all this about her own world?

"Actually Elranor is a god of healing," said Tanith. "He just really hates our enemy, Baltoth."

This other world thing she kept mentioning as if it wasn't important bore investigation. "Tanith Telus, when did you come from this world of yours?"

"Eh, about two days ago," said Tanith. "I was sailing with some friends away from a destroyed civilization. We'd just finished vowing revenge on a demon of massive power when I ended up here. I hit the libraries and talked to people about recent events. Plenty of people are for teaching the orcs a letter."

"Let me see if I have this quite clear," said Jaina. "You've been transported to a world you do not understand for reasons you do not comprehend. And your immediate reaction is to go to a library an research the best way to destroy my neighbors?"

"More or less. Is that eccentric?" asked Tanith.

Word to the effect of yes were on Jaina's lips before she considered the history of her own world. Maybe Jaina was the eccentric one. "Well, you'll fit right in on Azeroth I suppose. Before we talk about this… proposition of yours, we should discuss the exact means you came here? It concerns me."

"Well, we were sailing through the sea. A huge fog rose up and obscured us," said Tanith. "Then I was walking onto the beach."

"And you have no knowledge of how this happened?" asked Jaina.

"More or less," said Tanith. "Though William's gone through this kind of stuff before.

It probably has something to do with Kiyora. This sort of stuff happens around her, or so I hear from William. Although, if it happened to me, it probably happened to William."

"Who is he?" asked Jaina.

"Oh, he's a paladin," said Tanith. "Tall, blonde hair, green eyes. Scar over this eye. You'd like him; his father is always arranging truces. I don't object, personally. There's always a new war to go to, and you should never fight on two fronts if you can help it.

"Take out your enemies one at a time."

Jaina eyed her. "…You are educated in tactics?"

"I grew up in Carn Gable, one of the most comprehensive collections of texts in my world," said Tanith. "Trained under the best swordmaster in the land. Eventually, I struck out on my own. I laid waste to many enemies and even commanded troops in the Battle of Savior's Run. Though I don't expect you'd know what that is."

"Not really, no," admitted Jaina. She should be fascinated by all this, but this other world seemed much like her own. There truly was nothing new under the sun.

"Alright, Savior's Run is a huge river that from north to south. It goes between our territory in the three nations of Harlenor and the Empire of Calisha," said Tanith. "Now the Calishans tried crossing the river to invade us. William caught them building a huge bridge and got to us with the word. Duke Vanion waited until as many of their troops crossed as he could defeat and then he drove them in.

"Meanwhile, William blew up the bridge and let most of the people on it drown in their armor. I remembered as I cut a man in half I looked put to see those idiots drowning in the river. It was great. Though he saved the King and some others and took them hostage. I met him on the beach after fighting on the front lines."

"This King of Calisha-" began Jaina.

"Actually Calisha isn't ruled by a King, it's ruled by an Emperor," said Tanith.

"Then why is there a King?" asked Jaina.

"Emperor Baltoth is a God," said Tanith. "A King to him is more like a regional governor. He delegates authority to different areas of his domain and lets them run themselves. Usually ruled by someone of his bloodline."

Jaina sipped her tea. "This is all very interesting, and I'd like to hear more. But I don't think I have a use for someone whose experience is in raiding. Even if it came to war with the Horde, I wouldn't want to target civilians."

"Then how do you expect to pay your army?" asked Tanith in surprise.

"They have wages," said Jaina.

"Oh, those things." scoffed Tanith. "They'll never catch on."

"And how do they pay their army where you are from," asked Jaina.

"We pillage and steal everything that is not tied down after we take a city or village. Then we distribute the loot evenly," said Tanith. "Duke Vanion does do wages, but mostly because he fights defensive wars and has to tide his army over.

"He usually rewards us out of his own pocket. But he's rich and getting richer, so most people wouldn't be able to do that."

"That is the orcish style of warfare," noted Jaina. "I'm afraid I can't use an officer with those tactics."

"Well, I have to pay for food somehow," said Tanith in irritation. "Give me a task or a quest or something, and I'll accomplish it."

"You might try an honest trade," noted Jaina, not liking the idea of giving her any position of authority.

"The only honest trade is war," said Tanith. "Do you have any open positions in your guard?"

"Not at the moment," said Jaina. "If you are really so dead set on fighting you might try across the sea in Lordaeron." She wanted Tanith as far away from this as possible.

"Anything closer to home?" asked Tanith.

"Well, there is-" Jaina paused as an idea came to her. "Actually I might have something for you after all. Have you heard of Tiragarde Keep?" This could work.

"No," said Tanith.

"It's the only standing Alliance Garrison in Durotar," said Jaina. "They are fighting a war that ended some time ago, and it's all but hopeless. I've tried to get them to evacuate and stand down, but they are operating on orders from my father." She took a sip.

"So you want me to kill them all?" asked Tanith.

Jaina choked on her tea. "No!" She put it down and drew up the letter she'd written from the desk. "I want you to give them this."

Tanith took it and eyed it. "A letter? What is it?"

"It's an offer," said Jaina. "You don't need to know any more about it than that."

"So you want me to convince them to yield territory to the orcs without a fight?" guessed Tanith.

"The fight was years ago," said Jaina.

Tanith bit her lip. "…How have you kept your position this long?" She seemed curious.

"Do you want the job or not?" asked Jaina.

"Fine, I'll take it," said Tanith.

"Good, I'll arrange a ship for you, and you can set out," said Jaina. "Ask for Lieutenant Benedict and if you're stopped by any orcs, tell them you are my messenger. But don't tell Lieutenant Benedict you are my messenger or he won't listen to anything in that letter.

"Officially it is from Colonel Loreena, an associate of mine. She is going behind my back to provide him evacuation."

"Didn't they work for your birth nation?" asked Tanith. "What did you do to so completely discredit yourself? Kill your own father and surrender to a hostile invader without a fight?"

Jaina glared at her.

"You didn't, did you?" asked Tanith, voice becoming horrified.

"My Father gave me no choice," said Jaina. "He seized control of my city and attacked my allies. If I hadn't stopped him, he would have committed genocide. I had to let the orcs in."

For a moment, Tanith stared at her, torn between horror and incredulousness. Finally, she laughed hysterically. "I think I've answered my own question. I'll be going."

"Not all societies value ability in war as their only requirement for leadership." snapped Jaina, before stalking out and getting some gold. She came back and tossed it to her, wanting her gone. "Here's some money for passage. Just tell them you're going to Tiragarde Keep."

"Just the ones' that stay alive," said Tanith. "I'll be back."

She rose and walked out.

Jaina remained silent for a moment. She doubted the letter was going to work. But someone like this Tanith would probably end up joining the group. More than likely she'd start an incident and give Thrall the excuse to wipe them out.

And if the plan worked as intended, fine. If not, they'd asked for it.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I don't like creating new fanfics, but I've felt creatively dead for a while. So, here is yet another new fanfic.

This fic I've written is sort of a crossover. The catch is that it's not a crossover with any series that has been released. It is a crossover with a book series I'm in the process of writing. One that has a very specific point where this crossover happens. And will probably never see the light of day, knowing my luck.

This is an experiment to see if I can get people interested in the base series. My method is by introducing characters within the context of the Warcraft world. It is also a means of testing the waters and seeing what people think of the characters I created. So if everyone hates a particular character here, I can do something to account for the fact in the book. That said, no knowledge of said book series will be necessary to understand the events of this fic. So I don't feel it warrants being in the crossover section. Especially since the thing it is crossed over with doesn't even exist yet.


	2. Escalation

**Chapter Two: Escalation**

Within the throneroom of Thrall's Great Hall a figure walked past the torches. As he did, the Kor'kron warriors standing guard murmured among themselves. Some put their hands to weapons. Thrall was uneasy himself.

For the robed figure that approached him now was already dead. The scent of his rot could be smelled, even through his concealing robes. He walked with a limp, and his face was concealed by a mask. Two slavering skeletal creatures with huge claws and lolling tongues were with him.

"What are these undead doing here?" asked a warrior.

Thrall raised a hand. "Hold your axe, warrior. They have come to us under flag of parley and may not be attacked. Speak quickly emissary and do not fear for your life."

"Great Warchief Thrall, " said the emissary, "I am Putress, emissary of Sylvanas Windrunner. She is now the Queen of Lordaeron and has driven the Dreadlords and the Lich King into the sea.

"We seek to join the Horde and join our forces together as one."

More murmurs of anger. Once again, Thrall remained silent. "Why is it that you seek to join us?"

"The Alliance is massing at our borders," said Putress. "My Lady Sylvanas allowed their armies to retreat back to their own lands. However, we expect we may face the same enemies again soon.

"We have no desire to fight our once-living countrymen. If we were to join the Horde, the truce between you might protect us."

"I was told that you murdered their commander," said Thrall.

"It is true," said Putress. "However, Grand Marshall Garithos attempted to exterminate the Blood Elves. The Dark Lady desired retribution for her race. But his men were allowed to leave willingly. And they did so gladly."

Thrall was not sure he believed this creature. "What have you called yourselves?"

"The Forsaken," said Putress.

"Ignore this beast, Thrall," said Drek'thar to one side. "They are pawns of the legion. Possessed by unholy magic."

"Were our people not once slaves of the Legion, Drek'thar?" asked Thrall. "No, I will not disregard them out of hand. If they truly wish to change, I will not deny them.

"I will meet with Lady Sylvanas herself and judge the matter."

"Very well, then. I assure you, we have only the best intentions," said Putress.

Then he turned to depart.

As he left, a huge strong warrior rushed through the door in a hurry. He kneeled quickly before Thrall, who eyed him. "What is it, Burx?"

"Warchief, there is a report from the sea," said Burx. "One of our ships came under attack by pirates, and the Alliance did nothing to stop it.

"This is an outrage, Warchief! The humans agreed to protect our fleets!"

And Burx was advocating war again. Wonderful. "Quiet. Let me see it."

Burx offered him the letter and Thrall unrolled it. He read through it quickly. Wonderful. "There was a heavy fog that night. It is possible that the humans were not aware of what happened."

"But Warchief, they sounded the warning horn," said Burx. "The humans are clearly complicit in this attack! We should march-"

"Enough," said Thrall. "I will arrange a meeting with Lady Proudmoore to ascertain the truth of this. In the meantime, you are to take no action against the humans. This is likely a third party." He sincerely doubted Jaina capable of this. But it was possible she could not control her own people…

* * *

The mist was rising high.

Tanith felt disappointed. They'd passed an orc vessel under attack, and she'd wanted to join in the fun. But Captain Tar flat out ignored the matter. He muttered something letting the orcs clean up their own mess, and that was it.

And now they'd reached a shore, though she could hardly make out the details in the mist. The Tar looked to her. "This is as far as I'll take you. The orcs have been bloody protective of their waters lately. You'll have to take one of the longboats to shore."

"Fine, I know how to use it," said Tanith.

"You think I'm giving you a longboat?" asked Captain Tar incredulously. "No. Bim, take Tanith out to the shore."

Tanith nodded and got into the boat with Bim, who lowered them began to row toward shore. Tanith began to polish her blades over one knee as they passed through the mist. The ship gradually faded into it. "So, what's all I hear about piracy?" she asked.

"There is a mutual defense treaty between humans and orcs." said Bim. "They're supposed to guard each others ships?"

"And how many ships do the orcs send out?" asked Tanith.

"They don't actually have much of a navy." scoffed Bim. "Most of their ships go through Ratchet, which has no treaty with Theramore."

"Meaning that the Alliance are obligated to guard the Horde's ships and get nothing in return?" asked Tanith.

"Well, our merchants heading into Kalimdor get the same protection," said Bim. "In theory."

"And how many merchants head into Kalimdor?" asked Jaina.

"…Well, most of the trade is with Darnassus by ship. That and the Eastern Kingdoms." said Bim. "See, orcs are real violent. Their merchants often get rough, and it generally isn't worth the effort of trading with them. And since any time there is a fight in ratchet, both sides get locked up, nobody trades with orcs if they can avoid it."

"So how do the orcs sell anything?" asked Tanith.

"They've had to delegate everything to other races." said Bim. "Goblins mostly. Orcs are good at fighting, but that's all their good at. But the goblins aren't technically part of the Horde, and they're sure as hell not going to help us without being paid. But at the same time they have an official seal of approval from the Horde. So we're technically obligated to help them."

"In other words, Lady Proudmoore's treaty gives the orcs huge benefits," noted Tanith. "And the humans get nothing."

"When the arrangement was made, everyone assumed that the orcs would be merchants," said Bim. "Then they figured out you weren't allowed to cleave in the skull from the person across from you. After that, they disregarded the profession as dishonorable.

"There are some orc merchants, but by an large they think of bean-counting as a depraved job."

"Idiots." scoffed Tanith. "They'll be slaves to the goblins in a few generations. Sooner or later the goblins will get rich enough, so all the warriors are taking orders from then. Then they'll take over and dispose of the warrior elite.

"I'm no merchant, but I understand the need."

"Well, maybe you can tell them that." said Bim. "Theramore is definitely economically dominant, though. We've got the best port on the continent and good relations with all the other producers. The orcs have to work through middlemen for trade with everyone but the night elves. And they hate the Horde.

"The real catch is that if the orcs wanted to they could easily wipe Theramore out. We've got to tread carefully around the beasts."

"You can tread carefully around a beast all you want," said Tanith. "Once it has eaten everything else, it will eat you. The way I see it, the only way the orcs will be able to keep control is by conquering more territory. If peace ever sets in, people will start to question why the warriors are necessary.

"If I were Warchief Thrall, I'd conquer Theramore and put the people to work. Then I'd burn Ratchet to the ground."

"You're pretty knowledgeable about all this," said Bim.

"I'm a reluctant intellectual." said Tanith. "That's why I'm so good at war. Right now Theramore is very rich and in a position of economic dominance. However, it has no military credibility.

"That means that sooner or later the Horde will wipe it out, either to gain an advantage or out of simple spite. Beggar thy neighbor is a popular policy among savages. If Theramore doesn't establish itself as credible the city will burn in a few years."

"You sure you don't want to join Tiragarde Keep?" asked Bim. "Seems like you'd fit in."

Tanith switched to her other sword. "Nah, no point. I looked at the maps. Holding the place is a lost cause. It's difficult to supply and doesn't maintain any kind of strategic resources. It's a total waste of men and resources. And it might cause a war we can't win."

"So you don't like the peace," noted Bim. "And you don't like the idea of war. What do you like?"

"Wars you can win," said Tanith. "To win a war, you need several things. An achievable objective. Strength of arms. And good leadership."

"What about proper diplomacy?" asked Bim.

They hit the shore, and Tanith sheathed her swords and put one leg outside onto the shore. "Little know secret, Bim. War is an extension of diplomacy. Take it out of the picture, and you're walking with one leg." Then she hoisted her pack and walked out. "Thanks for taking me this far. Hey uh, are there any notable enemies of the orcs in this region?"

"Well, the quillboars used to own it," said Bim. "We had one or two deals with them before the orcs drove them out. Course Thrall decided not to finish them off."

"How magnanimous of him." said Tanith. "I'm sure they'd love to stab him in the bag. Good luck."

"To you as well," said Bim. Then Tanith strode off into the mist. This was the second time she'd marched into a dangerous land on her own. And this time she didn't have a goddess to help her on her way. The mist was clearing at least, and she came to the top of a hill.

There was Tiragarde Keep, and it was worse than Tanith thought. The walls were broken down and shattered, and yet there were men standing guard by them. The keep was well contained, but even that had breaches in it. Whoever chose to hold this place was an idiot. And the orcs were idiots for not finishing them off. While Proudmoore was an idiot for letting the Horde walk all over her.

There was no shortage of idiots in this world, which gave Tanith the advantage. Of course, since Lieutenant Benedict was an idiot and devoted to a cause, he probably would not abandon it. Even Proudmoore had seen that. "Now let's see. If I go straight to them and join, they'll put me as a foot soldier. But if I offer them Proudmoore's offer, they'll reject me out of hand.

"So, how to get into their good graces." She turned her gaze elsewhere and brought out a map. The Valley of Trials loomed before her. A place where the orcs tested their new recruits. Which meant that it was guarded by maybe a few veterans and a green recruits.

Tanith made for it.

As the mist cleared Tanith began to wonder why the orcs had ever come here in the first place. This land was a barren wasteland of scrub grass and dying trees. Thrall had got to be the stupidest leader she'd ever met. He'd had first pick of where to found his new country and he'd chosen this desiccated wasteland.

He should have taken Theramore and used that. It wasn't like Proudmoore would have been able to stop him. On she walked and began to whistle. Soon enough she came to the gates of the Valley of Trials. High walls, lots of rocks, a few trees.

Good god this land was worthless. Tanith couldn't understand how the orcs could think this was a good place to settle. It wasn't defensible, except in the sense that nobody in their right mind would try to invade the worthless place. She supposed some cliche about good lands making people weak might be possible.

But that was nonsense. Fertile lands were not defensible and were in high demand. So someone who owned fertile ground had to be really good at killing people, or they'd be wiped out. Idiots.

"You, human! What are you doing in this land!" snarled a voice.

Tanith paused as a number of orcs rushed up to her, axes drawn. They were very large, thick-bodied. Green skin and lots of skull-themed ornaments. Huge muscles. She sighed and put on her charming face. "I'm sorry, I was under the impression that you were obligated to provide security for merchants. Not harass them."

"You don't look like any merchant I know." said the orc suspiciously.

"And I'm sure you know plenty of them." scoffed Tanith. "If you must know, I was a guard on a caravan. I ran into trouble with the quillboar and lost my client. Then I got lost and ended up here. I was hoping to ask for directions and also purchase supplies."

"Well off with you, you'll get no help from me." snapped the orc. "Why Thrall tolerates your kind is beyond me."

And that was their last chance. If Tanith had had doubts about doing this, they were gone. She smiled in a friendly fashion. "I'd just like to thank you for rendering my conscience sparkling clean on this."

"What?" said the orc.

"I'm about to join Tiragarde Keep," said Tanith.

In what was probably a blur to them, she drew her swords and cleaved two of their skulls. They screamed, and the blood spewed all over her as she brought around her blades to rake two throats. Four down.

"Invaders! To arms!" screamed someone.

And down came two more. Tanith rushed to meet them, a smile growing across her face. She ducked under an axe blow and cut off a leg. As her enemy fell screaming, she parried two blows from opposite directions. Then she turned her swords and driving them through two hearts. The last one swung at her, but she yielded ground before his strokes, parrying for fun. She leaped over the legless one who was screaming and jabbed under her enemies guard. Her blade ran him through the stomach. He keeled over, and she stepped around to behead him.

Not a bad start. Too easy, though.

She stepped over her headless enemy as the orc beneath her looked up in terror. "You won't get away with this human! Warchief Thrall will bring the whole Horde down on you!"

Tanith raised her sword. "I'm looking forward to it."

Then she brought down her sword and chopped his head clean off. Still, waste not. She walked from one corpse to another, chopping off their heads one by one. Several times she had to shoo off birds of carrions. At last, she had eight freshly decapitated heads, a nice round number. And her ticket into Benedict's good graces.

And there were no witnesses. Anyone could have done this.

Still, she needed a sack. She hadn't thought to bring one. So she made her way up to the orcs camps and began to search through it. Soon enough, she found one. Walking back down, she fitted each of the heads into the sack. It was just a fit.

"In the valley of trials, Garshun, you will be tested and molded into a true warrior." said a voice. "You must swallow your pride and-"

Around the bend came two people. An older orc, walking with a limp, and a younger one, a teenager, though he was about Tanith's size. They were a big species weren't they, like minotaurs.

They saw the corpses and became witnesses.

The older orcs raised his axe. "Run, Garshun! Tell Warchief Thrall of what's happened-"

Tanith hurled one of her swords, and it caught the old bastard in the face. He reeled back, dead and Garshun kneeled by him. Tanith rushed at him, smile widening. Ten kills instead of eight was just fine by her.

And then Garshun did the first sensible thing anyone had done all day.

He ran like hell. Very quickly too. Tanith slowed to a halt and didn't bother chasing him. She was wearing armor and he had longer legs. So she pulled out her sword and climbed to the top of a hill. She watched him run toward a distant orcish settlement. It was reasonably well-fortified because it was on a hill. There were no defenses to speak of, since there were huge holes where there should have been gates. But she'd read it held a large force of troops at any one time. It was also the designated meeting place between Jaina and Thrall. So, what to do?

Well, she could try to make it to Tiragarde, but her mission would be botched. They'd track her there, and she'd lose her status as Jaina's subordinate. She sat down to think. Chances were they would send men after her, so if she led them into the valley, she might be able to catch them in an ambush.

So long as she left no survivors, she could always just let them think one of the soldiers from Tiragarde did it. That settled, she stood and began to walk into the valley. As far as worthless barren deserts went, it was moderately less worthless. There were trees here, and some water, plenty of animals as well.

But it was all far too open — no good places to hide and ambush.

Then Tanith heard a howl. Glancing back, she saw orcs coming toward her. They were riding on top of huge wolves. Tanith was stunned. She hadn't been aware there were animals large enough to bear humans, let alone orcs.

Quickly Tanith scanned around her and saw a cave. She ran for it. The orcs must have seen her because they howled and their masters rode them after her. Still, she had a head start and soon made it to the cave.

Inside the cave, she was immediately surrounded by dozens of humans. They drew swords, and she raised her hands in gesture of peace. They wore white tabards with the symbol of an open flame on them. "Wait, wait, wait, I come in peace," said Tanith.

"Do you?" asked an orc emerging. He was clad in red robes and around him were many strange imp creatures. They held fireballs.

"We can't risk this one learning the truth, Yarrog." said one of the humans, a man with red hair. "We've got to kill her."

"So, you're not working with the Horde." guessed Tanith.

"No," said Yarrog. "We are of the Burning Blade! We will destroy this truce between Alliance and Horde! We will deliver this world to the Burning Legion!"

"Oh, that's nice. Way to be ambitious," said Tanith. "Now I've got some good news. We're here on a common purpose. There is a large force of orcs heading for this very cave. The way I see it, you can kill me and die, or work with me and maybe live."

The human stared. "You lead them to us!" "I didn't even know you were here," said Tanith as the howls grew nearer. "Can we kill each other later?"

Quickly a plan was put together. Tanith drew both swords and ran to the mouth of the cave. There she waited in plain sight as the orcs rushed toward her. Waiting for them, she ran back inside, and they followed her recklessly.

"FOR THE HORDE!" They called,

Even as they did, the Burning Blade closed in on them from every direction. The imps launched waves of fireballs into their midsts, killing several. A wolf was set aflame and ran howling from the cave. To their credit, they fought tooth and nail and neither surrendered nor pleaded for mercy. Of course, they were surrounded on all sides.

Tanith hacked down three in moments as the orcs were divided and conquered. Soon they and all their wolves were dead to the man. The Burning Blade had suffered only a few wounded. These were stabbed to death.

That was a bit harsh.

"These guys really aren't very good soldiers are they?" asked Tanith.

"What?" asked Yarrog.

"Anyone with any brains would have realized that they have us cornered in a cave in their own territory," said Tanith. "All they'd have to do is set up defenses and starve us out. Or pile branches high and smoke us out — anything but launching a stupid, obvious, head-on attack on a chokepoint.

"Of course they didn't know you were hiding out here. But they shouldn't have chased after me like that."

"Well, they are orcs." scoffed the human.

Tanith shrugged. "I don't judge people by race. Just what I get for killing them."

"Why were these after you?" asked Yarrog.

"Oh, I slaughtered all the trainees at the Valley of Trials," said Tanith. "At least I think they were trainees. They might have been warriors."

"What?! Why?" said Yarrog.

"I needed to make contact with Lieutenant Benedict, but he wasn't going to listen to anything I had to say. So I figured I'd killed some orcs," said Tanith. "But then they sent wolf riders after me. I thought this place looked defensible, and here we are."

Yarrog sighed. "…Kill her."

"Why?" asked Tanith, drawing her swords. They hesitated to attack her.

"We have been working for months in absolute secrecy to sabotage the Alliance and Horde! And in one move you have exposed us!" snarled Yarrog.

"Oh. I see," said Tanith. "Well, it's a good thing I'm of more use to you alive."

"What do you mean?" asked Yarrog, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Because I've got contact with Lieutenant Benedict," said Tanith. "And Lieutenant Benedict is an enemy of the Horde and part of the Alliance. And since you want a war with the Horde, the enemy of my enemy, is my friend."

Yarrog eyed her for a moment. Finally, he relented. "…Fair enough.

"Turus, get the men together. We got to Tiragarde Keep."

"What about the plan?" asked Turus, the red-haired human.

"The plan is in ashes." snapped Yarog. "But if they see you join Tiragarde Keep, they'll think the humans are getting much stronger. My people are quick to attack, so they'll launch an assault before making any kind of plan."

"With a bit of tactical thinking, we can deal them another defeat," said Tanith. "And as soon as that is over, I'll have transportation ready to take us away."

"What about these?" asked Turus, motioning to he dead bodies.

"Cut their heads off and hang the bodies where the world can see," said Yarrog.

"This looks like the beginnings of a beautiful friendship," said Tanith.

This would take a lot of work. But if Tanith pulled this off, she could defeat the Horde, complete her mission, and make it Thrall's fault. It seemed like it could be a lot more fun this way.

.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

And here we are. I was surprised at how much traffic my first chapter got. Truth be told I was half-expecting to get like, two views and no reviews or likes. So this was a pleasant surprise.

Keep in mind, my knowledge of Durotar comes from WoW wiki. I never played very far as a Horde character. Or an Alliance character for that matter. WoW just never grabbed me.

Just in case you thought that Tanith would just be ruining Jaina's plans, I'm afraid that's not the case. The title is Tanith Ruins Everything, and it was titled that for a reason.

Also, I've always theorized that Sylvanas let Garithos' men go after Balnazzar died. We only see her kill Garithos, and it makes Frozen Throne a bit less of a downer. The men under Garithos then sort of dispersed among the other alliance factions. This would go a long way to explaining why the Scarlet Crusade only became big after Garithos kicked the bucket. It probably got a huge burst of manpower from his former soldiers.


	3. The Horde's Response

**Chapter Three: The Horde's Response**

Warchief Thrall arrived at Razor Hill on wolfback. Yet he found the place oddly deserted. The few warriors that were there were scurrying around in a panic. Meanwhile, the peons were scurrying to build forts.

One of the warriors rushed up to him. "Warchief, you are here. Thank the spirits."

"Where are your wolf riders?" asked Thrall.

"There was an attack on the Valley of Trials," said the warrior. "A single human appeared and killed the teacher, along with several students. One of them escaped and alerted us; he said the attacker wanted to join Lieutenant Benedict."

"I have heard that human adventurers have defied Lady Proudmoore," mused Thrall. "Still, none have been so brazen before now."

"We sent the wolfriders after them," said the warrior. "They fled into the Valley of Trials. There was only one, however…"

"Look Warchief!" said a warrior.

Thrall did look and saw, coming out of the Valley of Trials, a force of humans clad in white and red. With them were a strange banner and one orcs. Thrall peered at it beneath the sun and finally got a look. "That emblem, a flame. I've never seen the like on any human.

"No matter. Our wolf riders are likely dead. Though how they entered the valley with none knowing is beyond me. Gather the infantry. We will move to intercept them before they reach Tiragarde Keep."

And so the army began.

* * *

Tanith had a pretty good feeling about things so far.

She'd killed a lot of orcs, and now more of them were coming down toward them from the hills. However, some of the men with her shuddered as they saw a particular huge orc coming toward them. He was on a path to intercept them.

"That's Warchief Thrall," said one.

"Really?" asked Tanith. "Is he good? At fighting?"

"Very," said Turus. "If we face him alone, we're likely to fail badly. And he looks to be trying to put himself between ourselves and Lieutenant Benedict."

"Do you think we'll make it?" asked Tanith.

"Even if we do, Thrall is very powerful," said Turus. "I doubt any of us will be able to defeat him. He's also a brilliant tactician. And if he has come to Razor Hill, then he is almost certainly going to meet with Lady Proudmoore."

"Well then, it's a good thing he's left Razor Hill, isn't it?" said Tanith. "With the troops, he's brought down from Razor Hill and those wolf riders we killed, there isn't much left in the town."

"If we make for it, he'll see us," said Yarrog.

"Those imps you summoned before?" asked Tanith. "Do you have any more of them?"

"Yes," said Yarrog.

"Then send them against him," said Tanith. "They'll keep his forces occupied while we sack the town."

"Very well then," said Yarrog.

Moving forward, Yarrog began to summon the imps who before had merely been hiding. They came forward, and he sent them to attack. As he did, Tanith moved before her men, they'd be hers soon enough. "Alright, listen all of you! We're not going to have a lot of time, so get your priorities straight! Our goal is to steal supplies and essential equipment, killing as many people as we possibly can while we do it!

"No gold, no jewels! Nothing that doesn't have a use! That comes later! Now move it! If anyone falls behind I'll hack them down myself!"

The imps charged toward Thrall and his warriors. They began pelting them with fireballs.

Thrall replied by launching a barrage of lightning that killed several. Yet as the warriors tried to close, some of the imps ran back while others fired. Then the ones who had been running fired while the others ran.

At this rate, they'd end up getting drawn out and exhausted.

Thrall decided not to let that happen and summoned many spirit wolves that came at the imps from behind. As they were hit, the orcs closed, and a melee ensued. Before long, the creatures were being hacked up by the superior warriors.

And then Thrall saw the burning.

Looking up from the fray, he saw Razor Hill was on fire. The humans were running amok, killing, and burning everything in sight around them. Peons were being herded into buildings as the towers were torn down. "Cowards! To me, warriors! We must aid our brethren!"

* * *

Tanith slashed down a number of peons with ease. Then she snatched up a burning stick from a brazier and tossing it into the nearby house. It burned with a nice light.

After that fiasco with Melchious, she'd been feeling really down. But it was nice to finally get back to raiding and pillaging. Not that there was really time for proper looting. Of course, they'd had to prioritize proper supplies—food and such.

Yarrog came up to her. "They seem to have realized your plan."

Tanith looked down to where Thrall was coming toward them. They looked very angry. Then she looked to where the peons were being rounded up as she ordered. "Herd these into the town hall, then set it on fire.

"Once you do that, we'll make a break for it. It may slow them down."

The plan was pretty standard practice, and it worked perfectly. Either the orcs lost a village, or Tanith delayed the pursuit. By the time Thrall arrived, she and her warriors were making a run for Tiragarde at full speed. A glance back revealed that Thrall was summoning rainfall. It was putting the fires out while warriors splashed buckets on the water.

Soon enough, they'd left Razor Hill behind. Ladened with goods of all kinds came before the gates of Tiragarde Keep. As they did, men with many arms came forward while archers peered down from above.

Lieutenant Benedict, or so Tanith assumed, came forward. "I am Lieutenant Benedict of Kul'Tiras! Who are you? State your business!"

"We are enemies of the Horde," said Tanith with a shrug.

Benedict eyed her warily. "…Then we have a common purpose. If it is true." Then his eyes fixed on Yarrog. "Why are there orcs among you?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," said Tanith. "These orcs are no longer part of the Horde. But they've got their uses.

"I have a token of goodwill." She motioned, and the goods and food were brought forward. She also tossed the bag of heads to Benedict, who looked within and nodded. "The best kind of token."

"Unfortunately, we have a problem," said Tanith. "The orcs pursued us here and destroyed our rear guard. I'm afraid that they will soon attack us. We have to stand ready to defeat them."

"We've stood ready since Admiral Proudmoore was slain and before," said Benedict.

"Right, I know," said Tanith. "Here's the thing, though, I don't think we can take them here."

"Then we will die honorably," said Benedict.

"Sure, but wouldn't it be better to live honorably while doing further harm to the Horde?" asked Tanith.

Benedict halted. "Yes."

Tanith smiled and drew out the letter from Jaina. "Well then, I suggest you accept this offer."

Benedict looked at it. "An offer from Colonel Loreena of Theramore to evacuate us to safe regions."

"It's from Jaina, of course," said Jaina. "She thinks pretending her most subordinate is acting against her will convince you. I don't expect you to have any faith in her. Who would have faith in a witch who killed her own father?"

"Then why did you bring this to me?" asked Benedict.

"Because I'm on your side," said Tanith. "And I think that Tiragarde isn't worth holding. Your just a nuisance. The Alliance doesn't benefit from having forces out here. Especially forces that could be useful elsewhere.

"So, you should accept this offer and then join Jaina's military."

"You would have us fight for her?!" asked Benedict.

"I'm not asking you to fight for her," said Tanith, at once recognizing the weakness. "Fight for humanity, for the people who the Horde threatened. They'll feel much better, I'll feel much better, with loyal soldiers like you guarding them, rather than patricidal morons like Proudmoore.

"Proudmoore has no honor. But her subjects still need protection. Serve them, not her. Serve the Alliance."

"Tanith, this plan will never work," said Turus flatly.

"What do you mean?" asked Tanith.

"There is an entire orc army that will be coming toward us," said Turus, motioning. "If it attacks and wins, we'll all die. If it attacks us and we win, Proudmoore will never be able to accept us back."

"Well then, it's a good thing that the white flag has been invented," said Tanith.

Turus' words proved prophetic. Soon enough, Warchief Thrall arrived. But he did not come with a small force, but a huge one. Vast numbers of orcs were marching, with wolf riders and ogres among them. As they came, Tanith motioned. "Raise the flag of parley."

"What are you going to do?" asked Benedict.

"I'm going to explain that all of this was an unfortunate misunderstanding," said Tanith.

Benedict choked. "You're joking."

"No, really," said Tanith. "No one we've fought has actually survived aside from Razor Hill. So, I'll say that I was attacked by the orcs I killed and slaughtered them in self-defense. Then Razor Hill was necessary destruction to get away from an attacking army."

"What about the one you let go?" asked Yarrog incredulous.

"I'll just call him a liar," said Tanith with a shrug. "Can I uh… challenge him to single combat or something?"

"That might actually work," said Turus.

"Hmm," said Yarrog. "In questions of honor, orcs are forbidden from choosing champions. They must fight for their own honor so if we can convince Warchief Thrall to determine whether or not we are guilty based on the duel. We'll at least put him in the position of breaking his word."

"That will clear me, but not you," mused Tanith. "I know, we'll say that we used an obscure ritual to seize control of demons summoned by another demon we killed.

"Also we succumbed to the fel corruptions, but we've changed."

"Zmodler?" guessed Yarrog.

"Yes, that," said Tanith. "And we were planning to unsummon, but the wolf riders attacked us, and we had to kill them."

"Do you honestly think that anyone is going to buy this?" asked Benedict.

"No, but we put out this story and then stalemate Thrall, he may let us go out of sheer frustration," said Tanith.

"…This is never going to work," said Turus, shaking his head.

"Then we'll improvise," said Tanith. "Benedict, are you alright with this plan?"

Benedict looked around. "Against my better judgment, yes."

The white flag was raised.

Now hopefully, the orcs would hesitate. If not, well, Tanith could always kill them all.

* * *

Jaina stared at Thrall after the emergency call.

She'd arrived in Razor Hill and found the place in ashes strewn with corpses. Quickly meeting with Thrall, she'd been filled in on the situation. How had things gone so badly so quickly? "These humans, they were in orc territory?"

"Yes, and there were orcs among them," said Thrall. "All wore the same tabards. It seems that both of our people's have traitors in their midst."

"It would explain why these ships you spoke of didn't respond," said Jaina. "I'll have to take a hard look at the members of my guards.

"Still, what are you going to do now?"

"We've received reports that they've been heading toward Tiragarde," said Jaina. "Our armies are amassing there, as we speak. We'll have to crush the keep unless they surrender."

"I have someone who should be negotiating with the keep as we speak," said Jaina quickly. "I was hoping to convince Lieutenant Benedict to leave peacefully, but…"

Jaina stopped and thought about things. "Thrall, I don't think he's part of this."

"The evidence is against him," grunted Thrall.

"It doesn't add up," said Jaina. "Benedict and his men are trapped in the past, but they are fighting for my father's memory. Father would never have sanctioned working with the demons, and they know it. Isn't it possible that these demon worshippers went to Benedict as an act of panic?"

"What do you mean?" asked Thrall.

"Well think about it from their perspective," said Jaina. "You're part of a conspiracy that has been working to undermine the truce between the Alliance and Horde. Your plan is working.

"Why would you then break cover in a way that unites the Alliance and Horde against you? It isn't in the Legion's character."

"Then you believe they panicked and made for Tiragarde in the hope of forging an alliance?" guessed Thrall.

"It is the logical thing to do, once you've been brought into the fold," said Jaina. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

"Keep gathering your armies and get ready for the siege. I'm going to head to Tiragarde and see if I can figure out what is going on."

"Very well then," said Thrall. "But if any of them try to leave, they will be killed."

Jaina sighed. "They certainly seem to be working well together. But how? Who could have engineered something like-"

* * *

Jaina should have known.

Tanith was walking among the men like she was in command of the place and barking orders. "Draw back! You heard me! I don't care if it means ceding ground, these fortifications are too broken to be of any use! We'll stick to more defensive terrain for our purposes!

"Get that barricade ready!

"You, make another ward. This building has to stand up to earthquakes for us to survive a siege."

Jaina moved forward. "Hello, Tanith."

Tanith looked at her and smiled. "Lady Proudmoore, I can explain how everything is going well."

"…Go ahead and try," said Jaina.

"Alright," said Tanith. "I arrived on the shore at night and decided to walk to Tiragarde. But I got turned around and ended up in the Valley of Trials. I went to ask some orcs for directions, and they decided to murder me and say the quillboars did it since I was alone.

"I killed every single one of them, but while I was doing that, two travelers arrived, and one attacked me. I guess he assumed I was the aggressor. I defended myself and killed him. His associate ran off on his own."

"And then you cut off their heads and hung them from Tiragarde Keep?" asked Jaina, seeing the grisly trophies.

"I thought that some orc heads would be valuable in getting Benedicts trust," said Tanith.

Jaina looked over to see numerous demon worshippers. They were hard at work, summoning imps with unholy rituals. "And the demon worshippers?"

"They aren't demon worshippers," said Tanith with a shrug. "They're hawks with bad fashion sense. I ran into them while hiding from wolf riders. I found them in a cave and learned that they had just finished a battle with a powerful demon named Zmodler. They defeated him by turning his own minions against him and having them tear him apart.

"We were about to finish the job of unsummoning them when the wolf riders showed up and attacked us. They said something about the Burning Legion. Some sort of cult, I guess.

"Anyway, we killed them in self-defense and made for Tiragarde so we could get a chance to explain ourselves. Thrall tried to kill us, and we used the imps to distract him so we could make our escape. Coincidentally said, escape led to us going through Razor Hill. Someone knocked over a torch, and the orcs there attacked us."

"The person you let escape, he said you murdered his grandfather. He said it was so you could give his head to Benedict," said Jaina. "So you'd have an even number."

"He's a damn liar," said Tanith with a shrug. "And I'll prove it over the body of any orc you like. Oh, good news, Lieutenant Benedict has volunteered to accept your proposal."

This was... not good.

Jaina struggled to not blast her where she stood. "… I'm going to go tell Thrall your claims. You'd better hope he believes you. If he doesn't, he'll probably kill every last one of you."

"I'd like to see him try," said Tanith flatly.

This was going to be a long, or very short, negotiation. Jaina was almost hoping for short.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Just so everyone knows, the book series Tanith is from is now available on Wattpad for free.

Search Heaven and Hellfire, the Dreaming Goddess on Wattpad if you want to see it.


	4. Negotiations

**Chapter Four: Negotiations**

Atop Tiragarde Keep, Tanith looked over the growing numbers of orcs, tauren, and trolls. She was very interested in how the creatures appeared. The tauren were huge, cowmen, like minotaurs. But they had longer necks and were more hunched and wielded huge totems. Meanwhile, the trolls were wiry and tall, wielding spears.

It was quite a large army, Tanith doubted she'd be able to defeat it.

Still, the ships coming toward them on the horizon were a clear escape route. Now Tanith just had to get Thrall to let them go. Glancing to where Benedict and Yarrog were glaring at one another, she stood and walked over to them. "Thrall certainly seems to be gathering his full force here, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he's called for help from adventurers across the Horde," said Benedict. "It seems he means to make a statement of how out of our league we are."

"Well then, I guess we'll have to make a statement of the irrelevance of numbers," said Tanith. "Yarrog, have you finished sending out those messages I asked?"

"Yes, I've sent imps to the various forces you specified," said Yarrog. "I doubt they'll come to our aid, though, they hate us as much as the Horde."

"But they're not coming to our aid," said Tanith. "They'll be getting back at the Horde. We're just telling them about an opportunity to do it."

Now came the time.

Thrall came forward, with a peon carrying the flag of parley. Tanith wore her helm and made her way out on foot to meet him. Arriving across from the warrior, she looked him up. He was huge, even for an orc, and wore black and gold armor. His beard was short, and he had long, black hair tied into braids. In one hand was a huge warhammer.

Tanith remembered all the research she'd done leading up to this point. If all went well, there would be no siege. If all did not, well, they'd give better than they got. Nearing Thrall, she drew off her helm.

Thrall recoiled for some reason.

"Jaina!" said Thrall. "What is the meaning of this? Why are you leading these humans?"

Hmm, did Tanith resemble Jaina? She supposed if you lengthened her hair, there might be a resemblance in body type and hair. "Hmm, there must be some mistake.

"I'm Tanith Telus, the leader of the Kul'Tiran Expedition."

"...You look exactly like her," said Thrall. "But I see the difference now. The spirits speak of the blood you've spilled, the atrocities you've committed."

Tanith laughed as she remembered her history. She couldn't help herself, and as she laughed, the orcish guard shifted nervously. Thrall, however, did not flinch. "Is something funny?"

"You're really going to try to take the moral high ground here, then?" asked Tanith. "You, the people who tried to depopulate two continents." She'd heard a history of the Second and First War from Benedict and was amazed at the Alliance's restraint. If they'd tried to pull that stunt on Harlenor, the whole species would have been depopulated.

Then again, if Duke Vanion had been running the defense, he'd have made the orcs eat each other. They'd never have even gotten to Lordaeron.

"The Horde has paid for our crimes with blood and battle," said Thrall. "We no longer seek conquest or domination."

Tanith laughed harder. This was hysterical.

"Stop laughing!" snapped Thrall. "I am Warchief Thrall of the Horde! Do you seek terms or not!"

Tanith got ahold of herself. "Yes, yes, I would.

"I'm willing to accept this land, from this fort to the sea. It shall belong to Theramore from now to the end of time. Also, a tribute in gold, we can discuss the details."

Thrall stared at her. "...Are you joking human? We outnumber you."

"I know," said Tanith with a shrug. "I'm offering you my terms of surrender."

Thrall went still. "...Let me see if I have this straight. You are surrendering to overwhelming numbers, and you want the terms to give you lands."

"Well, that is how the Third War ended for your people, isn't it?" asked Tanith. "You fought on the side of the Legion. Then you changed sides at the last minute to fight in one battle, and then got rewarded handsomely. So there is precedent."

"We are free of Mannoroth!" said Thrall. "And the Warsong's actions were not their own."

"Oh, so you attacked us out of your own free will, then," said Tanith. "Good, I'm glad to know village burning is an accepted form of offering friendship. I'm sure we'll get on great."

"Hellscream acted against my orders," said Thrall.

"Yes, and as a reward for disobeying your orders and starting a war, you sent him to Ashenvale with no oversight." Tanith made a show of recalling the history she'd read up on in Theramore. "There he...

"Slaughtered lots of night elves, hamstrung the defense against the Legion by killing a demigod and... went right back to trying to kill humans. While you... fought more humans.

"Then you had one civil war, where the Warsong weren't punished at all for their crimes and killed one demon."

"Hellscream was-"

"It doesn't matter," said Tanith flatly. "Hellscream was under your command. You have to learn to take responsibility for the actions of your subordinates. The funny thing about being in command is this, Thrall; Everything is your fault.

"Even when it's not.

"So yeah, that's the terms of surrender I'm offering. This territory is ours, now and forever. In repayment for your attacks on Theramore, among other insults."

Thrall glanced back to his warriors, then to Tanith. "...You do not seriously think you can defeat us? Admiral Proudmoore is dead! All that's left now is a remnant!

"Why should we give you anything! How can you justify this?"

"We were tricked by demons," said Tanith.

"What do you mean?" asked Thrall. "You employed demons against us!

"Oh yeah, all those orcs we killed. We got tricked by demons," said Tanith. "And I don't feel obligated to explain anything more than that to you.

"You're asking the world to forgive you for much larger atrocities. More than that, you expect it to reward you for doing the bare minimum to clean up a mess you created. So, how about you become the change you're trying to see in the world. And forgive us for a crime we are not at all repentant for.

"It would be hypocritical to declare yourself atoned and judge me irredeemable. After all, we're so sorry for what we did. Won't you forgive and forget Warchief?"

Thrall said nothing.

"Amazing, isn't it? What having a passing interest in history can bring to light?" asked Tanith. "Are you a hypocrite, Thrall?

"Because if you do decide to wipe us out, it raises unfortunate implications. Maybe you aren't repentant at all. Maybe you're using a feigned road to redemption to justify murder for fun.

"And then, maybe, we're the same. And maybe, my actions are right."

"We are nothing alike!" roared Thrall, and the earth trembled.

"Oh, really?" asked Tanith. "How much have you done to make up to the night elves your atrocities? Have you given back the land you stole?"

"That land belongs to the Warsong by right of conquest." began Thrall.

"How convenient," said Tanith. "You are absolved from responsibility for your conquests, but get to keep all the benefits. Have you punished the Warsong for making a deal with Mannoroth?"

"They did not know what they were doing!" said Thrall.

"Neither did we," said Tanith. "I assure you, we are as repentant as you are, Warchief. We're truly, very, totally sorry for our actions. We regret that the situation has come to this, and wish things were otherwise.

"So Thrall, would you like to make amends? Or have it out steel on steel? Because I'm fine with either. I'll leave the choice to you."

"I need no time to answer this," said Thrall. "There will be no terms.

"You and your kind will leave this fortress immediately! You will return to Theramore and abandon all further attacks on the Horde! Jaina will deal with you as her people see fit!

"Do so, or the Horde will wipe you from this world once and for all!"

"As you wish," said Tanith. "I've already got things packed, so we'll be out of your hair soon enough."

There was a brief silence, during which Thrall probably wondered if he had been outwitted. "...What do you mean?"

"You talked me into it," said Tanith. "You win. Your superior martial might has made be give in to your most generous terms. We'll leave Tiragarde with all the plunder we accumulated."

"The plunder will be left behind!" said Thrall, obviously trying to regain control of the negotiations.

"Oh very well, there wasn't much of it anyway," said Tanith.

"...What trickery is this?" said an orc, not understanding what was going on. "What are you playing at."

"No trickery here," said Tanith. "You can have this broken, rundown keep that was a complete waste of manpower with my blessing. Really, giving it up will only consolidate Jaina's power. Thus making the Alliance that much stronger when you try to invade it."

"We do not seek war with the Alliance!" snarled Thrall in frustration.

Tanith smiled. "Well, then we've got no quarrel, do we?" Then she raised her hands outward. "Now, let us declare eternal friendship. After all, my people have redeemed themselves in your eyes. "

"...The Warlock stays," growled Thrall.

"Excuse me?" asked Tanith, letting an edge into her tone.

"The Warlock stays," said Thrall. "You have among you servants of the Burning Legion. They will not return to Theramore."

"The deal is done," said Tanith. "You can't just keep adding new things onto it."

"I will not allow the Legion-" began Thrall.

"Aren't you negotiating with the undead right now?" asked Tanith, remembering hearing stories of a messenger heading that way. "The Undead Forsaken? Benedict told me about them. They murdered an Alliance General during a parley."

"He was a racist," said Thrall. "And he-"

"He was a General of the Alliance and had upheld his end of the bargain," said Tanith. "And he was murdered in cold blood. Accepting the Forsaken into your Horde is effectively legitimizing Sylvanas' assassination.

"What is this? One rule for the Alliance and another for the Horde? Why is Yarrog irredeemable, but Sylvanas a potential ally? Or do you only care about yourselves?"

"You speak as though you care," said Thrall. "All your words mock and belittle us, yet you seek blood and death for its own sake. You wouldn't have done all this if you actually cared."

"Of course I don't care," scoffed Tanith. "I'm a mercenary, and I'm looking out for my employer's interests, whether she wants it or not. As far as I'm concerned, the strong do as they like and the weak do as they must. But you are making claims to higher pretenses, so I'm allowed to point out your failings.

"So, if you want Yarrog, you'll have to break off all ties with Sylvanas Windrunner. Or, I guess you could put a sword to my throat and drop the pretense of heroism you've got going here. I don't mind either way. Of course, if you do that, we're going to have a fight here.

"The plunder is one thing. But giving up one of my companions to you? That's not something any honorable warrior does without blood being shed. Of course, I'm headed to Theramore, and Jaina wants to stay in your good graces. So she might just be the worse man and hang him for you. That way, you won't have to break the deal you just made."

"...Get out of my people's lands," snarled Thrall.

"As you wish," said Tanith.

And she walked back, pleased to find the defenses were well prepared for an onslaught. Mentally, she calculated that Thrall might attack them. Still, she was confident she could hold out until word arrived from the frontiers. Yarrog was waiting for her when she arrived. "How did it go?"

"We got everything we wanted and more," said Tanith, then she glanced at Benedict. "Man the walls; I wouldn't it put it past these ones to launch an attack or two.

"Now we just wait until the ships arrive and evacuate.

"Yarrog, you've got leave to go to Theramore with us as well."

"Me?" asked Yarrog. "I'll be killed as soon as I get there."

"Oh ye of little faith," said Tanith. "Have you no belief in the power of redemption? Ask for forgiveness, and it shall be granted.

"As soon as we arrived in Theramore, you shall publically convert to the worship of the light. You'll go to church every day, say your prayers and do so until I say otherwise.

"And now, henceforth, you shall serve Lady Proudmoore. And it is basically true, if not in the way they'll take it."

Yarrog nodded. "You would make a good Dreadlord."

"What makes you think the beasts won't attack us as soon as we head for the ships?" asked Benedict.

"They're going to have other things to worry about," said Tanith.

A call went out, and the Horde began to mobilize behind them. Right about now, Thrall was receiving news of simultaneous assaults on his borders. None of the attacks could be directly connected to Tanith, who was leaving.

Thus it was that the men of the Alliance cheered to see the Horde rushing away as if in retreat, even as they evacuated. Of course, since the Horde had left, there was no one to hand their plunder over to.

Tanith really, really, loved her job.

* * *

Tanith returned to Theramore in triumph.

Men bought eachother drinks as people cheered at the returning warriors. The story of the redeemed Yarrog quickly far and wide. Yarrog seemed to find all this beyond absurd, but Tanith wasn't concerned. Better still, with a sudden increase in numbers, Tanith was rapidly able to set Benedict up with a rank.

It turned out that a lot of people were quite hostile to the Horde, which had wrecked this city. And that the Horde had been humiliated and defeated. All without breaking the truce was the best of both worlds. Plenty of new recruits signed up for the militia.

For her part, Tanith made her report to Lady Proudmoore in private.

Looking at her, Tanith realized Jaina actually did look a bit like her. The facial structure was the same, though Tanith was more muscular. It was all in the posture that the difference was.

"From there, I returned to Theramore alongside the ships," finished Tanith. "The truce is maintained, the Horde now takes you seriously as a power. Your armies are stronger, and Tiraguarde is no longer dividing your authority. I let out some rumors among the people that all this is going according to your plan. So you've more credibility as a war leader.

"You are now more powerful than ever, and in a much better position."

"Except the Horde no longer trust us," said Jaina, who seemed to have no idea what to think. She had probably expected Tanith to act openly against Jaina. Instead, Tanith had simply given her numerous benefits. "They will remember this for years."

Ah, so she was trying to find some reason to get rid of Tanith.

Well, that didn't matter to Tanith in the slightest. So she shrugged. "They'd got bigger problems. When we thought we were about to come under siege, I had Yarrog send messages. They were to Lord Kazzak, the Quillboars, and the Centaurs. In those messages, I explained what was happening. They picked up on Thrall's troop movements, and all attacked around the same time."

"What? Why wasn't this reported to me?" asked Jaina.

"I'm reporting it to you right now," said Tanith. As a point of fact, Colonel Loreena had been sent to the border, just in case. Jaina hadn't established a proper chain of command. So Tanith had been able to insert herself into power easily. With all the new recruits he was mustering, she'd soon have a majority of the army under her belt.

She just needed a proving ground for them. "At any rate, Thrall is now engaged in a war on three fronts.

"Kazzak gets all the credit, of course, or the blame if you work for the Horde. I expect he'll be repulsed shortly, and Thrall will make plans to wipe out the legion once and for all. No loss there. But, with his warriors trust in him shaken, I doubt he'll want to call on you for help. Which means he'll take more losses.

"So we don't have to do anything.

"The Horde, the natives, and the Legion will tear eachother to shreds. This could go on for years, and they'll all be weaker at the end of it. In the meantime, you can increase your defenses and solidify your hold here in Duskwallow.

"When the orcs attempt to destroy us, we'll be in a far stronger position."

"That won't happen!" yelled Jaina suddenly. "The orcs have changed! They are like humans!"

Tanith had the feeling there had been a failure to communicate at some point in their chats. "I know.

"That's why they'll try to destroy us. Haven't you noticed that Thrall hasn't been in a hurry to make it anything more than a truce? Why not make a formal Alliance or pact of friendship?

Your friendship isn't important to him. You aren't valuable.

"As long as he doesn't need the land you're on and has other enemies to fight; he'll let you stay around. But when he wants Duskwallow, he'll enslave you or wipe you out. The strong prey on the weak and the weak do as they must. That's the natural state of the world. Every nation has hawks and doves.

"If you want to change nature, you must first become strong and beat down those who would do what you consider wrong."

"I want you out of Theramore!" snapped Jaina.

Ah, and here the patricidal little fool had acted too late. The doors opened, and several men from Lieutenant Benedict entered. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Benedict and his ilk are heroes to some of your people, even if they'd never admit it to you. He's willing to listen to me, I've convinced him that you're valuable as a means of keeping the Horde at bay.

"If you exile or kill me, he might just raise some trouble.

"And that'll lead to a civil war.

"Do you want to kill your own people? Or are you going to invite in the Horde to murder your political enemies again? Go crying to Thrall again, and you'll lose what little credibility as a leader you retain."

"...People like you don't get away with this sort of thing, Tanith," said Jaina. "You can't do this forever. Sooner or later, you'll alienate all your allies and die friendless in the wilderness."

"Well then, we'll scarcely notice the difference than if you'd kept on ruling," said Tanith.

"How can you even begin to understand me!" snapped Jaina. "All you care about is war, perpetuating the old hatred! You're doing this to satisfy your ego, and you're going to destroy everything Thrall and I worked to build?"

Tanith sighed. Honestly, she couldn't even hate this idiot. "Thrall and I? I'll let that pass.

"I don't hold you in contempt because you want peace. I hold you in contempt because you are sacrificing your nation for a fairy tale. War is inevitable, and in peace, the wise man prepares for it."

"The Prophet said we would find salvation!" said Jaina.

"Why do you believe him?" asked Tanith.

"He... he was Medivh, the Last Guardian!" said Jaina.

"...So, him nearly destroying the world is to his credit?" asked Tanith. "How do you know he wasn't some other evil power which happened to be working contrary to the Legion? He certainly seemed to care little for humanity."

Jaina said nothing. She had nothing to say.

"In any case, you can rule Theramore however you want," said Tanith. "Make speeches, build orphanages, whatever you want. I'll take care of the foreign policy today. Just remember that you killed your father for absolutely nothing. Think about that."

Then she turned and walked out.

Jaina could teleport out if she wanted to, but Thrall wasn't going to be able to do anything right away. And by the time he did, Tanith would already be well on her way to fixing this mess. She would secure Theramore soon enough.

Later, within a meeting room, Tanith stood by with her Lieutenants. They'd replaced the guards quickly. Word would spread of what they'd done, but Tanith meant to finish things before any action could be taken. Jaina was a weak leader, whose standard reflex was to beg someone to do her work for her out of goodwill.

And she hated resorting to violence.

Tanith was confident she could crush her if it came to it.

"...Have you been sent by the Legion?" asked Yarrog.

"No," said Tanith. "I only came to this world a week or two ago."

"You realize that Proudmoore won't take this lying down, don't you?" asked Benedict.

"Yes, but the orcs are occupied fighting right now," said Tanith. "She won't be able to call on them for help just yet. Our main problem right now is public opinion.

"Everyone loves a winner.

"So, it's time we attacked."

"The Horde?" asked Benedict with a smile.

Tanith looked at the map, and then to a village in Duskwallow Marsh. "No, the Stonemaul Ogres, here. In Brackenwall Village."


	5. Off the Rails

**Chapter Five: Off the Rails**

Ashenvale Forest was healing well since the Battle of Mount Hyjal.

Jaina Proudmoore had not been back here since the end of the Third War. Since then, many of the blackened trees had been restored to a healthy green. M much of the blight had been driven back. Jaina wished that the news from Lordaeron had been as good. But by all appearances, the Forsaken would rule from now on.

As she came to the roots of the World Tree, Tyrande Whisperwind greeted her. Tyrande was a majestically beautifully, green-haired elven woman. Her violet skin was flawless, and with her was Malfurion Stormrage, the Archdruid.

"Lady Proudmoore, let me welcome you to Ashenvale," said Malfurion. "However, I am surprised at the abruptness of your arrival." The night elves valued their seclusion, after all, and Jaina felt bad about appearing.

"You have my apologies, Archdruid," said Jaina. "However, I am in need of aid from the Night Elves."

"What seems to have been the problem?" asked Tyrande.

"There have been changes in my city," said Jaina. "A mercenary named Tanith Telus has taken control of my city. While I am still nominally the leader, my loyalists have been reassigned to the border forts. At the same time, she has brought in former members of my Father's military.

Ordinarily, I would deal with this myself.

"However, there is a far worse problem. Tanith has convinced many of the Horde's enemies to attack it simultaneously. At the same time, she is planning to launch attacks on Horde sympathetic neutral parties.

"My armies are being mobilized to attack Brackenwall Village in the Duskwallow Marshes."

Tyrande and Malfurion shared a glance, and there seemed to be some kind of disagreement. Tyrande looked back to Jaina. "...So, the Horde's military is occupied fighting off attacks on multiple fronts?"

"Yes," said Jaina, not sure why she thought that was the important part of the story. Granted, the Horde still occupied part of Ashenvale, but they'd put all that behind them.

"And your alliance with them is in tatters?" pressed Tyrande further.

"Technically, it still stands, but..." Jaina sighed. "I don't think I will be able to send any forces to help Thrall, even if he trusts me enough to ask."

"This is dire news indeed," said Malfurion gravely. "We must make plans to aid our allies in the Horde-"

"Hush, Malfurion," said Tyrande, before looking back. "Shandris! Gather our armies! Call the dryads and stone giants and all the sentinels! Let every bow be bent!"

"Yes, Priestess Tyrande!" said Shandris.

Well, that was success, but Jaina didn't want another invasion of her city. "I'm glad for your assistance, but I was hoping to avoid direct bloodshed-"

"We march to war with the Horde!" cried Tyrande, and cheers came from the night elves.

"Wait, what?" said Jaina.

"What?" asked Malfurion. "Tyrande, is this truly befitting of us?"

"Priestess Tyrande, please reconsider!" said Jaina, realizing what she was planning. "The orcs have atoned for their crimes-"

"Surely, you don't think that we have forgiven or forgotten the murder of Cenarius?" asked Tyrande flatly. "Warchief Thrall may have admitted the act was wrong, but he has not asked for forgiveness. Nor has he restored the lands of Ashenvale stolen by Hellscream from us.

"Far from atoning for his misdeeds, they have simply dismissed them as not their fault. Then happily taken the benefits, they gained from them."

"We stand ready to serve you, Tyrande Whisperwind!" cried the night elves, as warriors rushed out.

"But Priestess Tyrande, if we attack now, it will only continue the cycle of hatred!" said Jaina.

"In my experience, a cycle of hatred can't continue if one side is dead," noted Tyrande.

"Tyrande," said Malfurion. "what purpose was served by making peace if we are to break it of our own accord."

"Because it was a war we couldn't win," said Tyrande with a shrug. "When I agreed to a truce with the Alliance and Horde, they were allied with eachother against us. I was hesitant to directly confront both of them. Now, however, the orcs are beset on all sides, and the Alliance cannot help them.

"Now is the perfect time to reclaim the territory that they stole from us."

"There must be a peaceful solution to all of this!" said Jaina.

Tyrande felt both Malfurion and Jaina's gaze on her and finally relented. "I see your point.

"Very well, when we attack Warsong Gulch, I shall offer them the chance to leave before we attack. Then we'll slaughter them to the last child if they don't agree."

"Perhaps some kind of compromise-" began Jaina.

"A compromise is a concession here," said Tyrande. "The Horde is holding territory that my people were thrown off and which is ours by right. They are felling trees and defiling the land, even as they pretend to be one with it.

"But no more.

"We march! Let us drive them from the land!

"There shall be no moonrise for orcs!"

"...You're really not on my side with this, are you?" asked Jaina sadly.

"Are you on your side, Lady Proudmoore?" asked Tyrande flatly.

And so it was that Tyrande Whisperwind led her enthusiastic armies off to start an all-out war. Jaina had the feeling that she'd lost control of her life if she'd ever had it. She looked to Malfurion, who had just been overruled by his wife.

"...I'm going to go evacuate Brackenwall Village as best I can," said Jaina. "You've all been a huge help." Then she teleported away.

As it turned out, Jaina needn't have bothered.

What remained of Brackenwall's population was fleeing for their lives. Ogres were clutching what few belongings they could take with them. Children were running or being carried by their parents. Hundreds of corpses were lying in a town of flaming buildings as the fighting began to wind down. Tanith was there, hacking down an ogre before hurling a dagger to get another in the back.

"How..." said Jaina. "How did they burn it down that quickly! I only just left!"

The servants had warned her Tanith was planning this. But Jaina hadn't seen any real signs of a mobilization. Then she saw a cadre of knights riding after the fleeing refugees. Teleporting between them, she summoned water elementals.

"Stop!" cried Jaina.

"Why are you interfering with the attack?" asked Lieutenant Benedict at the front.

"Leave the refugees, let them go," said Jaina. "I will not allow a genocide."

"You don't-" began Benedict.

The Tanith approached with her men, the flames rising to new heights behind her. She was soaked in blood and smiling wildly. "You forget yourself, Benedict. Do as she says. She is your leader, after all."

"But Lady Telus, the Horde is in full retreat! We should exterminate them now!" said Benedict.

"Did they exterminate you when they had you crushed?" asked Tanith.

"...No," said Benedict.

"Well then, I believe we owe them the same debt, don't we?" asked Tanith, moving up to Jaina. "Right this way, Lady Proudmoore."

Jaina followed in a daze, watching as Tanith washed the blood off her face, still smiling. Jaina looked around at the bodies of the soldiers from the Alliance. Many of them were orcs, while the humans all bore the symbol of the Burning Blade.

"How did you do this so quickly?" asked Jaina. "Where did you get the forces?"

"Simple enough," said Tanith. "The Burning Blade has a pretty extensive network of orcs and humans. All of them working together to undermine the Alliance and Horde truce. I had Yarrog bring them here en masse through open borders. All with the understanding they'd get to burn a village. And that by doing so, I'd be able to start a war.

"I then used the Burning Blade as disposable shock troops. Meanwhile, the Kul'Tiran's remained in reserve."

"Cannon fodder?" asked Jaina.

"They're a doomsday cult who wants to end the world," said Tanith with a shrug. "It's not like they plan on living, while we do. Don't worry; they think I'm some sort of demonlord plotting the downfall of all things.

"So, how did your trip to the night elves go?"

"How did you..." Jaina halted. 'How could you possibly know about that?"

"Lucky guess," admitted Tanith. "Your first instinct to every problem is to run crying to a higher power and obey whatever it says. The orcs aren't talking to you; I'm not listening, that leaves the night elves."

Jaina decided to bluff here. "...They have pledged their full support to retake Theramore.

I am willing to give you a chance to cede power now. I suggest you take it."

"You're a bad liar, you know that," said Tanith with a wry smile. "If I had a bet, they gave you an I-owe-you, promising to help reclaim your city. Then they marched to war with the orcs.

"That's what I would do."

"They are not you!" snapped Jaina.

"Of course not," said Tanith. "But if I were an ancient race of elves who loved nature with a proud history as warriors, that's what I'd do. Putting yourself into the head of the enemy is a useful skill.

"Try it sometime, patricide." She glanced back to where Yarrog was looking at the corpses of his men with a frown. "Yarrog, what do your sources tell us?"

"...We've lost a third of our number in this attack," said Yarrog. "The Burning Blade has been more than decimated. Turus is dead, so are most of our orcish members."

"Well yeah," said Tanith. "No offense, but if I've got to choose between Kul'Tiras and the omnicidal maniac, I'll take the former. Who did you think I was going to use as suicide troops?

"Good work with the imps, by the way. Now answer the question." Wait, so she'd deliberately sent the Burning Blade to die here? This had been a purge—a purge of Tanith's original forces.

Jaina felt horrified and then remembered they worked for the Burning Legion. That... complicated things

Yarrog shook himself. "Thrall has rallied his defenses against the invaders. He has won several victories. However, he is unable to capitalize on his advantages because of the endless wars. If we press the attack-"

"We are not pressing the attack," said Tanith. "We've gained some serious territory; now we're going to consolidate our hold. Still, there is the matter of Ratchet."

"What of it?" asked Yarrog.

"It's the only major port the Horde has, and it's technically neutral," said Tanith. "They're occupied with the centaurs. If it were to be wiped off the map, we'd the Horde would have to go through us."

"You can't do that!" said Jaina quickly.

"Why not?" asked Tanith flatly. "What's in it for us not to do that?"

"Because if you attack Ratchet we'll be the only major port in Kalimdor," said Jaina. "The Horde would have no choice but to attack us. They are already baying for your blood; what you're doing would force an all-out conflict.

"You've only made it this far by taking advantage of Thrall's good-will and reluctance to break his oath. If you're too aggressive, you'll lose everything."

Tanith nodded. "...You know, that actually makes sense." Then she glanced at Yarrog. "So, where's Zmodler?"

"Zmodler?" asked Yarrog.

"Yes, your demon master," said Tanith. "I got the name out of a fisherman on your personnel lists. What is he going to do next?"

Yarrog shifted. "I...

"That information is not-"

Tanith's swords were out and at Yarrog's throat in a moment. "Do you value loyalty to Zmodler more than your life?"

"Who is Zmodler?" asked Jaina.

"A demon who is running the Burning Blade at the moment," said Tanith. Or was. I want him dead; his existence could cause me... problems.

"So, answer the question, Yarrog. Do you value your loyalty to Zmodler over your life?"

"No," said Yarrog, looking unsteady. "Of course not. His plan is to destroy the forests near the Thunder Plains. Thus provoking a mass rampage and damage the orcish holdings in that region. Thunder Lizards are prone to going berserk when ecological damage hurts them.

"Our original plan was to provoke a war between the Alliance and Horde. Mostly via small skirmishes that provoked them."

"Great," said Tanith, glancing at Jaina. "Jaina, you're a powerful sorceress. Make yourself useful and kill Zmodler, will you? It might earn you some respect."

"By myself?" asked Jaina.

"Yes," said Tanith. "If you succeed at this, then you'll have actually achieved something worthwhile. Other than turning every guy you romance into a Dark Lord, that is."

Jaina went still. "I do not-" She hesitated. Arthas was the Lich King, Kael'thas had started using Fel Magic, but he wasn't a Dark Lord yet. Technically. Granted, he lived in a black fortress, commanded demons, and- "None of that was my fault!"

"Sure it wasn't," said Tanith.

"Where are you going?" snapped Jaina, not even bothering to correct her.

"Obviously, I'm going with you," said Tanith. "I want to kill this Zmodler myself and make sure you don't screw up again."

Jaina clenched a fist and resisted the urge to burn her to a cinder. Rage bubbled and then, suddenly, froze over. "...Fine, I'll play your game.

"But you're coming with me."

Slamming her staff against the ground, she teleported both of them to Northwatch Hold. Within Loreena's office, she found the Captain looking over reports. She stood as she saw Jaina. "Lady Proudmoore, we just-"

"Colonel Loreena, in my absence, you are now in charge of Theramore's military," said Jaina. "You will take command immediately of Theramore. Consult with Kristoff on the subject."

Loreena halted. "...Yes, Lady Proudmoore. What about the Kul'Tirans?"

"Tell them we're focusing on solidifying our defenses," said Jaina, writing out a command. "The damage is already done, so for now, we'll just fortify Northwatch Hold and the other areas."

"Yes, ma'am," said Loreena.

"Let's go," snapped Jaina.

"Whatever you say," said Tanith as Jaina teleported her away.

Jaina felt irritated at this. Didn't Tanith even care that Jaina had just cut her out of command? Without Tanith there, her tentative alliance would collapse in on itself. But Tanith just glanced around at their surroundings.

When they got to the place they'd teleported to, it turned out to be a forest. More specifically, a dead one. Vast numbers of trees had been cut down all around them. Tanith looked around. "...Well, from the looks of things, somebody already clearcut this place. Too late, how awful. Let's head back."

"No, we should investigate this further," said Jaina. In the worst case scenario, she could always abandon Tanith here.

"As you command, milady," said Tanith.

That was it, what was she up to. "You don't seem upset at losing command."

"Why would I be upset?" asked Tanith. "Power means nothing to me. I'm just doing my job."

"If you were doing my job, you wouldn't have seized control of my nation and started a war of conquest!" snapped Jaina.

"A regent is employed by an infant King. But he doesn't ask him for his opinion," said Tanith.

"I am no infant!" snapped Jaina.

"Sure, but that doesn't make you qualified to rule a Kingdom," said Tanith. "You really seem more like the trophy wife sort. The kind who throws fireballs when commanded and isn't involved in decisions."

"I was the only one who would listen to the Prophet!" snapped Jaina.

"Yeah, that should say something about how good an idea it was," said Tanith. "If every single king decided it was a fool's errand, chances are there was something wrong with your plan."

"The King's of the Allianced funded my expedition," shot back Jaina. "I organized the whole thing myself."

"Did they?" asked Tanith. "Would they have been able to fund an expedition for the population of the Eastern Kingdoms?"

Jaina looked down. "...No."

"So you were for just taking a select for and abandoning the rest to die horrible deaths by the undead?" asked Tanith. "That's cold, even to me."

"You weren't there!" said Jaina. "I saw what the undead did to my home!"

"Maybe it was the right call, then," said Tanith. "All I know is that the orcs have done exceedingly well out of it, at everyone else's expense. You ought to find yourself some better gods; these ones don't seem to be acting in your best interest."

"The light loves all creatures and looks out for their benefit," said Jaina.

"Yeah, but your race doesn't consist of 'all creatures.' More importantly, it survives by violent subjugation of weaker races," noted Tanith. "Didn't you wipe out a colony of merlocs when you conquered Theramore? What do you think is good for them?

"What's good for 'all creatures' is often terrible for the individual. And the universe is made up of individuals.

"Let's find a witness who can tell us what is going on here. I see some smoke in the distance."

Jaina hated Tanith.

Unfortunately, her ideology made perfect, brutal sense. Jaina was going to have to find a flaw in it, or she'd the woman would rip the whole world apart.


End file.
